How do I remove OS components for better performance?

TimTim Southwest PA Icrontian
edited November 2004 in Science & Tech
On my Dell Latitude CPi-A366XT 366 Mhz P2 192 MB RAM laptop, I have XP Home SP2 installed. I was playing around with it today and came across an option to delete unused operating system programs for better computer performance.

I didn't do anything at the time, but now I can't remember how to get back to it. I spent 1/2 hour looking and could not find it again!

What's the path to it? Like Start << Control Panel << etc?

And is there a list of programs I can delete? All I really need the laptop to do is go on the internet and play videos on Windows Media Player. It has a full assortment of special drivers and codecs and antivirus software programs.

Comments

  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited November 2004
    Start -> Settings -> Add/Remove Programs -> Add/Remove windows components.

    It won't make your PC run better, as very few of those applications (If any) run in resident memory.
  • TimTim Southwest PA Icrontian
    edited November 2004
    Oh. I thought it would help the computer run better with less programs in the way and XP's reputation for using lots of memory all the time.

    Well, if that won't help the computer run better, I may try installing 98 SE or 2000. They take up less system resources, right?
  • TimTim Southwest PA Icrontian
    edited November 2004
    Well, I tried installing Windows 98 and that was a huge headache. I had to go on my other computer and burn the drivers to CD to install my Intel ethernet adapter card to plug internet into the laptop.

    Then I spent about an hour trying to find video drivers so I could have something better than 640 X 480 at 16 colors.

    Then I said F#$% it and used my XP Home CD to reformat the hard drive.

    I'll try installing ME today. I haven't EVER heard anything good about ME, but it's a newer OS and should take up a lot less system resources than XP.

    98 installed on about 159 MB of hard drive space, whereas XP takes up about 1 GB.
  • leishi85leishi85 Grand Rapids, MI Icrontian
    edited November 2004
    ME is crap don't even try, if your laptop can't really take XP, and install windows 98 SE.
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited November 2004
    Um, here's how to let XP choose what it does not need:

    Start|Accessories|System Tools|Disk Cleanup.

    When Disk Cleanup loads, choose your boot drive (frequently drive C, mine is NOT C).

    Let it scan the drive. When it pops up a TWO-Tabbed dialog, click the More Options tab.

    In the Windows Components section, choose Clean Up button.

    The things Windows chooses as unused will be prechecked. Just click Next to let it delete what it has detected as unused or not frequently used.

    Note the other two sections, and if you know what programs are hanging out that you truely do not need, go throught the wizard for the Program removal and old Restore Points removal if you want.

    This might only work in XP SP2 in this exact way, it is one of the things stuck into interesting places in XP SP2 that does not fully work in XP SP1.

    IF you understand deps, you can also do this as Thrax pointed out, in SP1 and SP2 of XP, also. If you do not know deps well, the wizards accessed from the Clean UP button in Disk Cleanup|More Options tab are a bit safer. The wizards will not let you delete real heavyduty core XP stuff, nor will they REALLY remove IE.
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